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Ohio Department of Insurance presents largely flat budget, highlights consumer and mental-health initiatives
Summary
An unnamed representative of the Ohio Department of Insurance told the Senate committee the department is non‑GRF and requested roughly $51 million for FY26 and $52.75 million for FY27 to regulate insurers, expand consumer services, and enhance mental-health insurance assistance and provider payment transparency.
The Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee received testimony on the Ohio Department of Insurance budget during the Sub. H.B. 96 hearing.
A representative of the Ohio Department of Insurance (unnamed in the transcript) said the department is funded by licensing and examination fees rather than the General Revenue Fund and presented a mostly flat-funded budget request: about $51,000,000 for FY26 and $52,750,313 for FY27.
The witness described the department's consumer-protection work, including OSHIP (Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program), which the testimony said helped Ohioans save $54 million in 2024, and a consumer services division that has doubled recovered dollars for consumers over five years while cutting complaint processing time by a third.
The department highlighted mental-health and substance-use disorder coverage work through its Mental Health Insurance Assistance office (MHIA), described a working group with other state agencies and stakeholders to improve provider payment disclosures and reduce fee burdens on providers. The testimony said budget language in the department's request reflects an initiative to require disclosure of third-party payment fees and to present options that may avoid fees for providers.
The witness also discussed workforce development efforts to grow Ohio's insurance talent pipeline and noted the state's large insurance market, citing more than 1,700 licensed companies, more than 250 domiciled in Ohio, and roughly 341,000 licensed agents.
No committee questions were recorded in the excerpted testimony. The department said it will continue to monitor revenues and identify opportunities for savings and efficiency.
